Bracket mounting assembly

Abstract: A filter assembly (10) employs a bracket (18) and a base (12) which mounts a disposable filter element cartridge (14). The bracket (18) has a bracket mounting portion for mounting the bracket (18) to a vehicle and a base mounting portion for mounting the base (12). The bracket mounting portion may be offset from the base mounting portion to provide mounting flexibility. The base mounting portion has a plurality of outwardly projecting catches that engage and support a corresponding number of hangers on the base. A threaded stud mounted on the bracket (18) is received between the hangers . A nut (24) in threaded engagement with the stud is torqued into engagement with the base (12), securing the base (12) to the bracket (18).

Description: Background of the Invention This invention relates generally to fuel filters employed in connection with internal combustion engines. More particularly, the present invention relates to fuel filters and lubricating oil filters having a replaceable cartridge for removing foreign particles and/or separating water from the fuel supply or oil system of an internal combustion engine. Commonly, filters employ a disposable filter cartridge which is replaced at pre-established intervals of filter usage. The cartridge is secured to a base assembly that is mounted to the engine header or some other fixed location. Variations between mounting locations and space constraints between different model engines and different manufacturers require a wide variety of filter configurations and orientations. In US-A-4,976,852, which is assigned to the assignee of the present invention, one disclosed fuel filter assembly is mounted to the vehicle by means of a bracket having cooperative shoulders which receive a clamp ring. A bolt extends between aligned openings of the clamp ring and an opening in the bracket for securing the clamp ring to the bracket. The clamp ring surrounds and engages a recessed neck of the filter base for securing the base in position. In US-A-5,186,829, which is also assigned to the assignee of the present invention, one disclosed fuel filter assembly employs a base that includes an integral mounting bracket. The fuel filter base is mounted directly to the vehicle. Both designs center the filter assembly on Enclosure the mounting bracket. Additionally, in the integral mounting bracket design the entire filter cartridge is suspended below the mounting bracket. Such designs impose additional design limitations on the filter assembly due to space and mounting constraints. WO-A-8401112 discloses an oil refiner having a filter mounted on a bracket. The bracket comprises a main structural mounting yoke and a positioning yoke. The base of the mounting yoke is mounted to the fire wall and the ears are mounted to the ears of the positioning yoke. The ends of the ears of the positioning yoke are mounted to the filter. The positioning yoke can be adjusted to hold the filter at a selected orientation to conform to the space requirements within the engine compartment. US-A-3 348 686 discloses a filter unit having a filter base assembly that is mounted to a bracket. The base assembly includes a horizontally extending arm and a vertically extending flange. A fastener extends through an opening in the flange and an opening in the bracket to clamp the flange to the bracket such that a vertical surface of the flange engages a vertical surface of the bracket. The arm defines an axis for coaxially mounting a filter cartridge. The fastener 74 clamps the surface of flange 70 directly to the surface of support element 76. Such apparatus requires that there must be sufficient access to the fastener to allow the fastener to be properly torqued in order to hold the filter assembly. The filter structure may interfere with access to the surface of flange 70 and fastener 74 as shown in Fig. 1 where motor 12 prevents access to fastener 74. An object of the invention is to provide a new and improved filter assembly that minimizes mounting constraint impact on the filter assembly design. Another object of the invention is to provide a new and improved filter assembly wherein the filter assembly centerline may be offset from the filter assembly mounting bracket centerline. Summary of the Invention Briefly stated, the invention in a preferred form is a bracket assembly for a filter assembly of a type comprising a mounting bracket, a base, a disposable cartridge and a retainer collar which locks the cartridge to the base. The filter base assembly includes a support structure which is utilized to support the filter base on the bracket assembly. The support structure has one or more hangers that engage a ledge structure on the bracket assembly. Additional hangers may be used to engage catches that extend from the bracket assembly. The ledge and catches support the hangers and thus support the rest of the filter assembly. A slot in the support structure receives a threaded stud mounted on the bracket assembly. A nut mounted on the stud is torqued down to engage the support structure and lock the base assembly to the bracket assembly. Separate bracket assemblies may be designed for each manufacturer and engine model combination. The bracket assembly ledge and catches may be positioned on the bracket and the support structure may be offset from the remainder of the base assembly so as to minimize the impact of engine compartment space constraints on filter assembly design. For example, the support structure may be offset from the filter assembly centerline so that the filter assembly need not be centered on the mounting bracket. Alternatively, the support structure may be located below the top of the base assembly, raising the filter assembly above the best available mounting location. Therefore, the mounting scheme need not impose any additional height requirements or limitations on the filter assembly. Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the drawings and the specification. Brief Description of the Drawing The present invention may be better understood and its numerous objects and advantages will become apparent to those skilled in the art by reference to the accompanying drawing wherein like reference numerals refer to like elements in the several figures and in which: Figure 1 is an elevated front view, partly in phantom, of a fuel filter assembly incorporating a bracket mounting assembly in accordance with the present invention; Figure 2 is an elevated side view of the fuel filter assembly of Figure 1; Figure 3 is an enlarged top plan view of a bracket employed in the fuel filter assembly of Figure 1; Figure 4 is an elevated front view of the bracket of Figure 3; Figure 5 is an enlarged top plan view of a base assembly employed in the fuel filter assembly of Figure 1; Figure 6 is an elevated side view of the base assembly of Figure 5; and Figure 7 is an elevated front view of the base assembly of Figure 5. Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiment With reference to the drawings wherein like numerals represent like parts throughout the several figures, a filter assembly in accordance with the present invention is generally designated by the numeral 10. Filter assembly 10 comprises a base 12, a bracket assembly 18 and a disposable filter cartridge 14. The filter assembly 10 is especially adapted for incorporation into the fuel supply system or lubricating oil system of an internal combustion engine (not illustrated), such as a diesel engine, for removing particulate matter from the fuel or oil and for separating water from the fuel or oil. The illustrated filter assembly is an inverted-type filter assembly wherein the cartridge 14 is suspended generally below the base 12. It should be appreciated that the present invention is also applicable to filter assemblies wherein the cartridge 14 is mounted on top of the base 12. The filter cartridge 14 is secured to the base 12 by means of a retainer collar 16. The bracket assembly 18 is fixedly mounted to the engine header or other fixed location of the vehicle. The bracket assembly 18 consists of a plate 30 having at least one bracket mounting portion 32, a base mounting portion 34, and an upper edge 44. A portion of the bracket plate upper edge 44 in the base mounting portion 34 defines a ledge 42 and a vertical plane. A plurality of tabs or catches 36 project outwardly from the base mounting portion 34 at an acute angle. The ledge 42 together with the catches 36 support the base 12. In an alternative embodiment, the bracket assembly 18 does not have catches and the base 12 is supported only by the ledge 42. The bracket assembly 18 is mounted to the vehicle (not shown) at a fixed location. The bracket mounting portion 32 may have mounting holes 38 for receiving bolts or other conventional mounting means (not shown). Alternatively, the bracket mounting portion 32 may be welded to the vehicle. In one embodiment, the bracket mounting portion 32 is laterally offset from the base mounting portion 34. This allows greater flexibility in positioning the filter assembly 10. For example, the bracket assembly 18 may be mounted in a region with limited free space that is adjacent to an area that has sufficient space for the base 12 and filter cartridge 14. In an alternative embodiment multiple bracket mounting portions 32, 32', 32'' may be used. Such mounting portions may be laterally, longitudinally and vertically offset for a given application to allow mounting on a plurality of engine compartment members. A stud 22 is vertically mounted on the base mounting portion 34, the stud axis defining a first vertical axis 26. The upper end of the stud 28 is threaded for engagement with a threaded nut 24. In one embodiment, the stud 22 is mounted in a vertical crease 40 located between a pair of catches 36, 36'. The crease 40 provides the plate 30 with greater rigidity and facilitates mounting of the stud 28. The base 12 comprises of a support portion 50 and a cartridge mounting portion 52. The base support portion 50 has a plurality of first hook-like hangers 54, projecting outwardly from a first surface 56 at the top of the support portion 50. The top of the first hangers defines a mating surface 62 for retentive engagement with the threaded nut 24. In a preferred embodiment, a plurality of second hangers 58 having a recessed ramp-like form depend from the support portion bottom 60. The first hangers 54 engage and are pivotally supported by the bracket ledge along a transverse interface. The second hangers 58 engage and are supported by the bracket catches 36 in a sliding surface-to-surface wedge-like configuration. The stud 22 is received in a slot 64 between the first hangers 54 whereby the stud vertical axis 26 is axially displaced from the bracket ledge 42 vertical plane. The nut 24 is torqued into engagement with the first hanger mating surface 62, exerting a downward force along the stud axis 26. The downward force creates a moment arm about the bracket ledge, drawing the first hangers 54, second hangers 58 and base first surface 56 into tight engagement with the bracket ledge 42, catches 36 and the bracket base mounting portion 34 surface, respectively. The cartridge mounting portion 52 defines a central axis for mounting a filter cartridge 14 in generally coaxial disposition therewith. Although the bracket mounting assembly may be employed with a wide variety of fuel filter configurations, the illustrated fuel filter assembly 10 may employ a cartridge mounting portion 52 and filter cartridge similar in form and function to the filter base and filter cartridge disclosed in U.S. Patent 5,186,829, dated February 16, 1993, and entitled "Fuel Filter Key System" or U.S. Patent 5,084,170, dated January 28, 1992, and entitled "Fuel Filter". In an alternative embodiment, the stud vertical axis 26 and bracket ledge 42 vertical plane are substantially coincidental whereby the downward force pushes the first 54 and second 58 hangers into tight engagement with the bracket ledge 42 and catches 36.

Claims: A filter base assembly having a bracket (18) and a base (12), the bracket (18) defining a first surface and comprising catch means (36, 42), the base (12) defining a central axis for mounting a filter cartridge in generally coaxial disposition therewith and comprising support means (50) for forming a support structure defining a second surface engageable against said first surface, said filter base assembly further comprising securement means (22, 24) mountable to the bracket (18) for securing the bracket to said support means (50) characterized by said support means comprising hanger means (54, 58) projecting outwardly relative to said support means (50), said hanger means (54, 58) being supportable on said catch means (36, 42). The filter base assembly of claim 1 characterized by the bracket (18) extending vertically and longitudinally and further comprises at least one bracket mounting portion (32) and a base mounting portion (34) wherein said catch means (36, 42) is located in said base mounting portion (34), said bracket mounting portion (32) being transversely longitudinally and vertically offset from said base mounting portion (34). The filter base assembly of claims 1 and 2 characterized by said securement means (22, 24) comprising threaded stud means (22) and nut means (24) threadably engageable on said stud means (22), said stud means (22) defining a first vertical axis (26). The filter base assembly of claim 3 characterized by said hanger means (54, 58) comprising a slot (64) for receiving said stud means (22) and an engagement surface (62) for engagement by said nut means (24). The filter base assembly of claims 1-4 wherein said catch means (36) comprises ledge means (42) and a plurality of catches (36) and said hanger means (54) further comprises first (54) and second (58) hangers wherein said ledge means (42) and catches (36) engage and support said first (54) and second (58) hangers, respectively. The filter base assembly of claim 5 characterized by said ledge means (42) defining a contact line and wherein said nut means (24) engages said engagement surface (62) exerting a downward force along said first vertical axis (26) on said engagement surface (62) whereby a moment arm is created about said contact line and said hanger means (54, 58) is drawn into tight engagement with said ledge means (42) and said catches (36). The filter base assembly of claim 5 characterized by said nut means (24) engaging said engagement surface (62) to exert a force along said first vertical axis (26) on said engagement surface (62) whereby said hanger (54, 58) means is respectively forced against with said ledge means (42) and said catches (36). The filter base assembly of claim 1 characterized by the bracket (18) comprising a ledge (42) and said ledge (42) engages and supports said hanger means (54). The filter assembly of claim 8 characterized by said securement means (22, 24) comprising threaded stud means (22) and threaded nut means (24) threadably engaged on said stud means (22), said stud means defining a first vertical axis (26). The filter assembly of claim 9 characterized by said hanger means (54, 58) comprising a slot (64) for receiving said stud means (22) and an engagement surface (62) for engaging said nut means (24). The filter assembly of claim 10 characterized by said ledge (42) defining a contact line wherein said nut means (24) engages said engagement surface (62) exerting a force along said first vertical axis (26) on said engagement surface (62) whereby a moment arm is created about said contact line and said hanger means (54) is forced into engagement with said ledge (42). The filter assembly of claim 9 characterized by said hanger means (54) defining a slot (64) for receiving said stud means (22) and an engagement surface (62) for engaging said nut means (24) wherein said nut means (24) engages said engagement surface (62) exerting a force along said first vertical axis (26) on said engagement surface (62) whereby said hanger means (54) is forced against said ledge (42).

Inventors: JANIK LEON P, ZEINER ROBERT W, JANIK, LEON P., ZEINER, ROBERT W.
Applicants: STANADYNE AUTOMOTIVE CORP, STANADYNE AUTOMOTIVE CORP.
Application year: 1994
Main classification: B01D35
IPC codes: F01M11, F02M37, B01D35, B01D27